Black-Haired Butler
by 0928soubi at docomo.ne.jp
Summary: A new story I have begun co-writing with AlienxLove. GazettE AU, Uruha has spent all of his life being forced to pretend that he is a woman by his horrendous father. Set in Victorian England. Contains: cross-dressing, homosexuality, yaoi. Now features members of Matenrou Opera. Other bands may be included later.
1. The Vision's Scent

Warnings: Cross-dressing, possible slash/homosexuality.

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters/personas/people.

Authors: 0928soubi at .jp and AlienxLove, alternatively.

Rating: T (for now?)

Characters: So far, Uruha, Aoi, and Kai of GazettE. May include others later.

Setting: Victorian England (ish.)

(a/n) Hello, everyone! It has been quite some time! I'm afraid that amid declining health, writer's block, and classes, I have not had much time to write. However, I bring you this now—a collaboration between myself, and AlienxLove (formerly known as XxXMiyavisHeartXxX). The format shall go thusly: I shall write the first chapter, then she shall write the second, and I shall write the next, etc. This story can be read on my page, on her page, and (eventually) on my livejournal account ( no spaces) : tohru 3 4 . Feel free to leave reviews in all of these places! ; 3 Also, please forgive the bad pun of a title. I'd like to keep this short, so, thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy, and please stick around for the next part!

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Sunlight filtered through dusty windows and crisp curtains, shining on a less-than-angelic face. Honey-blonde hair messily tossed over bleary eyes and gaping, drooling mouth, Uruha was not a pleasant sight to behold.

"Oh, get _up_, you lazy git," A tall brunette groused, as he tossed an armful of clean laundry onto a chair beside Sleeping Beauty's bed. He stalked over to the bed, throwing back the curtains with a flourish. "It's morning, your Majesty. Time to get up."

Uruha made a whiny noise in the back of his throat, lazily tossing his left arm around in an attempt to retrieve the covers. Aoi, anticipating this, held them up and out of the blonde's reach. Creaking open one rheum-crusted brown eye, Uruha gave the man servant a scathing glare through his hair. Haughtily blowing his hair out of his face, he muttered, "No."

"It really is difficult to take you seriously when you do that, you know." Aoi smirked, placing the bed covers into a basket of washings. Uruha gave a cute little huff, still not budging. Without pause, Aoi flipped the mattress onto the ground, taking Uruha with it. "Up."

The honey blonde gave him a mutinous look, but slowly got up. Aoi handed the blonde a fresh chemise and loose bloomers, giving the blonde an approving look. Uruha returned it with a glower, but took the underclothes. He stomped over to the Coromandel screen in the corner of his spacious room, still acting haughty. The blonde quickly stripped off his dressing gown, tossing it over the partition, trying to hit the brunette. Aoi caught it before it could hit his face, and chuckled under his breath. Uruha slipped on the cotton bloomers, closing the button to keep the fabric slit from opening. He then wriggled his way into the chemise before walking back to his servant. "Well?"

Aoi turned around, holding up an ornate cream corset embroidered in light blue thread, and interlaced with real gold. He blushed slightly and averted his eyes as he looked at the blonde, dressed only in thin cotton undergarments. The servant helped the blonde into the corset, and then began to do up the fastenings in the front. Aoi shoved an apple into Uruha's mouth rather unceremoniously, so that he could eat a little before he was laced into the ridiculously tight bodice. Uruha ate a few bites before tossing the core onto a bedside table. Aoi then turned the blonde around, starting to do up the laces on the corset from the middle out to give the appearance of both cleavage and a tiny waist. Aoi then began to yank the laces tight in well-practiced movements. Uruha's eyes began to bulge a little as the brunette wordlessly stole his breath away in a less-than-romantic fashion. The servant finished quickly, and tied the ribbons into perfect bows. Aoi then helped him into a large, white crinoline, followed by a thick, rather scratchy petticoat. Next came a lightly embroidered shirtwaist with lightly ruffled sleeves. Uruha held up his hair for Aoi, keeping it from getting caught. Over this came a splendid midnight blue skirt, heavily embroidered with gold, light blue, and cream-coloured threaded flowers and fleur-de-lis. The gorgeous skirt was covered rather gratuitously with pearls of varying sizes, as well as a number of large, delicate opals. After this magnificent piece came an equally wonderful vest, all made of silk. A few pieces remained, but Aoi decided to hold off on those for a bit. He sat Uruha down at his vanity, picking up an ornate imported comb. Uruha leaned his head back into his friend's chest, relaxing as the other man's surprisingly gentle hands groomed him. Aoi gently worked a lightly scented oil into the blonde's fair hair, letting the soothing aroma fill their senses. The servant then wove his hair into an intricate up-do, letting just a few locks fall down his neck. He wound a few pearls into the bun in a strategic pattern. The servant held out a few necklaces, allowing Uruha to choose his favourite. Delicately, Aoi fastened an expensive pearl-drop necklace around Uruha's pretty, pale neck. He handed Uruha a pair of matching earrings, allowing him to insert these himself.

"Tell me, what is the special occasion?" Uruha tilted his head to the side, putting his right earring easily. He then took a burned hair pin, which he carefully used to darken his long lashes. The blonde glanced up at the brunette in the mirror, eyes clearly demanding an answer.

Aoi gave him a sheepish look in return. "Well…that is to say…ah," noting the blonde's impatient look, he cut to the chase. "Your father has arranged a meeting with an esteemed Duke, as well as his son—" the servant's hands immediately went to the blonde's shoulders, keeping the now thrashing blonde from standing up. "Now, now—nothing has happened yet, you can quit your bellyaching—"  
"_Quit my bellyaching? _ Do you not recall the last time that old fool 'arranged a meeting' with someone? You would have those events repeated? Surely even you are not so foolish as to see this ending well!" The now blustering blonde kept struggling to get up, though he was significantly weaker than the man that had worked all of his life.

Aoi rolled his eyes, knowing that Uruha's insult to him was far from heartfelt. "Come, now. There is no proof that anything negative will come of this meeting. As far as I have been able to discern, the Duke and your father have yet to reach any sort of an agreement. All is fine—"

"_Easy for you to say!_ You can still _breathe! You're _not made up like a child's doll, and treated like a toy to be given to the first willing to pay the asker's price!" The honey blonde swatted Aoi's hands away, standing up with more than a little effort. Skirts a-swishing, the lithe man started heading for the door. However, Aoi had anticipated him trying to escape, and was far faster. The brunette pulled Uruha into his chest in a hug that was just a bit too intimate and familiar, but was soothing all the same. Leaning into the hug ever so slightly, Uruha tried to compose himself. When he had calmed himself enough to speak without his voice shaking, he added "I simply…I simply fear that I would be a toy easily broken."

Aoi laid his head atop Uruha's, careful not to muss his curls. "I know that this might be…hard. But it is what your father wishes. Would you disobey him?" The brunette pulled back, looking into the blonde's mahogany eyes.

Uruha lowered his head, breaking eye contact. "Sometimes, one must protest—"

Aoi cut him off, holding the blonde at arm's length. "Ludicrous! If your father heard you speak in such a way, he would—"

"You ask me a question, then when I answer your query truthfully—" indignant, Uruha pushed his servant's hands away, trying to flee. Before Aoi could respond, there came a soft rap at the door. The brunette looked down at Uruha, but found that he would not meet his eye. Aoi sighed, before moving to answer the door. "Yes, Kai?"

An excited brunette stood beyond the door, grinning up at the other man. "Aoi! Just the man I needed! The Duke has arrived, and his Lordship requires his children greet him. Between you and me," Kai leaned in towards Aoi, lowering his voice. "I noticed something odd upon tending to his horses."

Aoi arched an eyebrow, leaning in a little closer. Uruha impatiently rolled his eyes, slipping into an embroidered bolero as his man servant gossiped. "What did you find?"

Kai glanced over at Uruha before looking back to Aoi. "There's something rather…strange…going on with the Duke and his son. I—"

"Now, that is quite enough," a low voice murmured, sending chills down the spine of everyone in the room. Uruha looked up, finding a tall, creepy man standing in the doorway behind Kai. His lank, dark hair clung to his greasy face in a way that all found quite repulsive. His teeth were gnarled and yellowed, stained a nasty reddish-brown. And the way that he leered at Uruha—all began to feel quite, quite uncomfortable. Just as he opened his wide, split mouth to continue chiding the gossiping pair, Uruha held up a hand.

"Quite right. That is quite enough," Aoi and Kai shot the blonde confused looks. Uruha gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, before continuing almost indignantly. "Here I stand, clearly not yet fully dressed, and there stand a multitude of men looking in on me!" Clearly not having expected such a response, the unsettling old man's yellow eyes widened a bit. "Have you forgotten your stations? The _only_ man permitted in my quarters is my servant. Now, unless you wish to discuss your continued presence here with my father, I would suggest you move along." Aoi bowed his head to hide his smirk at the humorous, if still a little revolting look on the old man's face. Kai followed suit, though hid his grin a little less well. Uruha glared at the old man, waving him away. "Off, now! Off with you!"

The old man bowed, yellow eyes burning into the blonde all the while. Finally, he crept away. Uruha grimaced, feeling more than a little sickened by the way the creep had looked at him. Turning to the other two, he sighed. "You two must be far more careful when speaking ill of others—especially those of higher rank. I am surprised that I must tell you such things."

Kai laughed, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. "My apologies!" He shot the others a lop-sided grin, beaming.

Aoi rolled his eyes yet again, shooing Kai out. "Go on—I must finish dressing her,"

Uruha blanched a little, as he always did when someone that didn't know of his real gender used a feminine pronoun to describe him. He had certainly had enough time to get used to it. He had been masquerading as a woman all of his life; not even Aoi and Kai, (the closest he had come to having friends) knew he was actually male. Of course, many thought it odd that a male servant was allowed to dress a female; however, no one dared question the motives of His Moste Honourable Lordshippe! And why would they? For Uruha certainly looked and acted the part of a cultured, respectable young woman. The only faults any seemed able to find were the facts that Uruha could be a bit of a day-dreamer (to the point that some erroneously thought him dim-witted), and that he had yet to find himself a husband. But even those that knew him so well still did not suspect the secret that he held.

Aoi turned back to Uruha after bidding Kai farewell. He led her back to her seat at the vanity, and resumed the dressing process. The brunette quickly touched up the blonde's hair, before helping him into a pair of ballet flats. (Though this was hardly a common style at the time, Uruha was too tall to wear anything with even a slight bit of a heel.) Once Uruha was finished, Aoi helped him up. "Are you ready to face your father?"

Uruha wrung his hands together, chewing on his lip. Finally, Aoi led the blonde from the room. The pair made their way down the long hallway, before quickly descending a grand staircase. Following the raucous noise easily heard even from Uruha's room, they found the blonde's family and guests.

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(a/n) Hopefully a good enough stopping place as any! Hope you enjoyed this, despite the rather short length.

Please Review!


	2. The Luscious Man

Well here is the second Chapter! I am AlienxLove and I really hope you like this story ^^ I really hope that this new idea of writing works out well for us : ) Please let us know what you think : ) And thank you for reading!

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The scene before Uruha's eyes at first was amusing. Kai was bringing in each trunk that the Duke and his son had brought during their stay at his father's home. They lived so far away that it was only expected of his family to offer accommodations during their stay. Uruha was hoping that it would be a few days at most, but in reality it could last an indefinite amount of time.

Kai had been dragging in the last of the trunks off of the carriage when the last one had opened up, letting the papers sweep over the floor in a non-discrete manner. The boy was scrambling to pick up each paper as he apologized to the Duke profusely. Uruha was well aware how hard Kai tried; too hard in his opinion.

It wasn't even his regular duty to do such a miniscule task, but Uruha assumed that the regular doorman was absent. He smiled inwardly at Kai's kindness, and how he somehow always found it possible to help out when his assistance was needed, but not required.

As the mess was cleaned and the trunks set aside, the blonde noticed his father coming in through the front door accompanied by two men differing greatly in age. He deducted these men to be the Duke and his son. He admitted that the son was good looking, though seemed a bit too preoccupied with himself to provide any real company.

"Ah and here is my beautiful daughter now," Uruha heard his father speak, hiding a wince at the term and smiling politely at the two men as he gracefully moved down the stairs. He allowed the son to take his hand and kiss it as he curtseyed politely, never breaking eye contact as he was taught. He was required to act appropriately amongst guests.

He was introduced to the two men before his father and the Duke went off to enjoy a glass of brandy as they spoke about matters concerning neither the blonde nor the son. The son, who after introductions Uruha knew to be an Earl named Akira, was still standing with him so Uruha kept up his manners and walked with the man into the garden and enjoyed the fresh air.

He was enjoying the silence but glancing at the Earl, he realized that the man seemed almost bored and Uruha immediately felt inclined to start up a conversation. As long as they were to be in each other's company, it was only proper to not leaves someone in an uncomfortable quiet.

"So, where have you and the Duke come from?" he spoke up lightheartedly as he picked a rose and sat by a fountain, Akira quickly sitting beside him. Uruha noticed that although he had broken the silence, Akira seemed even more so uncomfortable. "Are you feeling ill? You really should relax more. The garden is very enjoyable this time of the y-," Uruha was interrupted by the strikingly angry voice that came from the man.

"You damned Buor, would you shut your mouth for more than a moment? Do you not know your place, you vile thing?" Uruha was shocked into silence at the upfront rudeness of the man. He had only been trying to make conversation and to help the man relax into the setting, but the Earl seemed to not want anything to do with him. Why then would he bother walking with him and sitting with him? Formality perhaps, but he didn't have to be rude about it! The rough words brought tears to Uruha's eyes but he quickly blinked them away.

"I-I am terribly sorry if I have upset you in any way, Akira. I assure you it wasn't my intention." Uruha's attempt to correct the situation in whatever way he had made a mess of it seemed to be futile. The Earl only seemed to be more infuriated the more he spoke.

"I cannot believe you are still talking! Has your _nouveau riche _father taught you nothing? I cannot believe my father is wasting our time with _nouveau riche _trash! The sooner we are rid of whatever issues are being discussed the better. I do not even wish to touch anything here. I fear it may…_contaminate_ us."

Uruha watched the man walk briskly inside and let out a slow breath as he was alone. The tears gathered in his eyes and he looked down, trying to regain some sort of composer. He really had no conceivable idea of what had just happened, but if he father hears about how angered the Earl had become there was sure to be blame put on him.

The blonde had not realized that another was with him in the garden until he felt the weight shift on the bench and looked to see Aoi sitting beside him. Through the years, the black-haired servant had been with him since a young age and yet even he did not know of Uruha's well-hid secret. There were days when Uruha wished he could tell him. It would be nice to have a friend to discuss the downsides with and to share the sometimes funny situations Uruha was placed in.

Despite not know, Aoi was the closest thing he had to a friend. Even though Aoi was only kind to him because it was his duty, Uruha took advantage of that. It was the closest he would get to a true friend, even if it was false.

In another world, Uruha would have liked to date Aoi. He was always courteous, even when seeing Uruha at his worst. He was a gentle man and Uruha really admired him. He could make him smile when he cried and laugh when he was angry. Plus, the black-haired man had an amazing talent of keeping Uruha in check when he was about to murder someone or scream his head off. There would probably be a few less nobility around if Aoi was not around to keep Uruha under control.

Now, tears were falling down Uruha's cheeks, the blonde unable to stop them from falling silently. He wouldn't make any sound. It was _unladylike. _Uruha was a bit surprised when he felt Aoi take his hand in his own. Looking to the dark-haired man curiously, he saw the servant smiling at him softly. The blonde felt his own lips twitch upward, unable to help himself.

"I heard what happened," Aoi spoke softly, "It was not your fault, milady." Uruha looked at him and smiled a bit. Courteous and helpful as always; Aoi always managed to find a way to make his heartaches go away. Smiling thankfully, the blonde's mind was stirring with thoughts about the other. It was ridiculous to think that in any way Aoi and he could ever be together.

Aoi was born in a small fishing town not far from Uruha's own town and he had been hired when he and Uruha were still very young; around the same time Uruha's secret began. Aoi was born to such a low class that his father would never allow it. The whole reason for the secret was so that his father could collect the dowry money owed to him if he had a daughter instead of a son. His father was never interested in continuing the family name. There was no importance in the family name for his father. He father only cared about himself and whatever money he could make in his lifetime, including the money earned from 'selling off' his own child in marriage.

The two sat in the garden for quite a while before Uruha was called to dinner. He reluctantly excused himself from Aoi's presence, showing more courtesy then was required for someone of such a low class. Going into the dining room, he carefully sat himself down into one of the chairs at the table and exchanged quick pleasantries with the men. Uruha hated how they could act so entitled just because they were men, and yet despite Uruha's true gender he had to be reduced to only formalities.

The dinner was quiet and Uruha made a point of avoiding any words with Akira. It was obvious that the young man wanted nothing to do with him and Uruha could easily reciprocate those feelings. His father and the Duke bickered happily over choice of dinner wine. Uruha sipped his own wine gingerly and eyed his father carefully.

After such a discussion with such an important guest as the Duke, he was expecting some sort of announcement during dinner explaining such a discussion. Many would think Uruha overreaching by assuming such things, but the blonde simply knew his father well enough; to say, he knew how his father worked and there was never something he did that didn't end well for him.

All their money had come from endeavours that his father had done before his birth; technically he had made his own fortune and this was most likely the cause of Akira's earlier insult of _nouveau riche, _or 'new money'. Sure enough, as the dinner drew closer to an end his father grabbed everyone's attention and began to speak.

"As you two are well aware, earlier the Duke and I had final discussions of an important matter and we have reached a decision." Uruha and Akira were both silent as the waited for the Lord to continue. "The Duke and I have decided together that the two of you shall be wed sometime in the spring." Uruha was shocked; his fears of this meeting quickly becoming reality.

"What?" Akira's voice spoke up immediately, "Father, you cannot possibly be serious!" Uruha could barely register Akira's complaints as he realized that his fate had already been sealed for him. He would be doomed to spend the rest of his life in silence next to a man he detested. They both had a hate for each other; a life time together seemed unreasonable.

What scared the blonde the most though was the fact that his father had not considered what would become of the both of them when his suitor realized their secret. There was no way that Uruha could press off sex forever when his suitor was expecting it. They would be expecting him to bare them an heir, which he of course would never be able to do. Uruha was worried because his father had not considered this. His father was only concerned about getting his money. What happened to Uruha after that point was none of his concern.

The blonde quietly excused himself from the table, explaining that he was tired and would retire to bed for the night. He remained pleasantly polite through the whole thing though his mind was screaming at him to argue this decision. He was well aware that he could not and so listening to his mind at this point would be futile.

Uruha quickly made his way to his room and shut the door behind him. Aoi would be in soon to help him get ready for bed and to draw his bath. He wasn't sure what to do about this, but maybe his black-haired servant would be able to provide some assistance on how to make this work. There was no way that Aoi could settle Uruha's greatest fit, but at least talking with the man would calm him down. He just hoped that somehow this was all just one bad dream.

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(A/N: Well here is the end of the second chapter! I would just like to point out that the great thing about us writing this is that we have no idea what each other will write until its posted! So basically we write whatever we want during our chapter and then the other person writes based off whatever was written last. It's a surprise for us sometimes just as much as it is for you! Well, please read and review~ We love to read your reviews : )

-AlienxLove)


	3. The Angry Cook

Warnings: cross-dressing, homosexuality.

Disclaimer: We don't own the characters/people/personas utilized here. At least, I don't. I can't speak for AlienxLove. But if we could've been sharing 'em all this time, we're going to be having some words, I assure you.

Bands/characters: (so far) the GazettE, Yuu of Matenrou Opera

This chapter's author: 0928soubi at docomo dot ne dot jp / tohr at livejournal dot com.

(a/n) Hi! Welcome to chapter three of Black-Haired Butler! We seem to be moving along quite steadily, which makes me quite happy! Be sure to leave reviews with AlienxLove too!

Enough of my blabbering! On with the show!

"Oi! No need to be so harsh!" A spitfire little man accused, scurrying away from the vengeful looking cook. He threw his arms over his head to shield it from several now airbourne pots and pans.

"Yeh very well coulda ruined tha' dinner, and yeh know i'!" The irate cook shot back in his thick accent. He tossed another pan at the shorter brunette's retreating back for good measure.

"You _knew_ I couldn't cook! I _warned_ you I couldn't cook!" Ruki screeched back, bowing his back to narrowly miss getting clobbered by the kitchenware. "Anyone could have _told_ you I shouldn't be allowed within leagues of this place!"

Hands on hips, the taller brunette head cook glowered at the man now partially hiding behind the other side of the arched stone entrance to the kitchens. _"Keeping rat poison ou' of dinner's __**'ardly**__ considered __**cookin'!"**_

Ruki blushed a little at that, but stubbornly glared right back at his superior. "Yeah, well…" the brunette blustered for a bit, trying to think of a response. Yuu just smirked at him, twirling a pan around in his hands tauntingly. Ruki blushed a bit harder as he realized that he couldn't think of a proper excuse for such an obviously dangerous mistake. "Yeah, well…shut up."

Rather than looking offended, Yuu just chuckled a bit. He turned back towards the table he had been cleaning before learning of Ruki's actions, and set the pan on it. Still smiling just a bit, he looked back at Ruki. "Jus' be more careful. An' take somethin' up ta Aoi, he hasn't eaten yet."

The shorter brunette stuck his tongue out at the other male, cheeks still quite red even as he grabbed up a plate with cheese, bread, and a bit of apple. "Feh!" A wooden spoon connected with the back of his head as he started to storm away.

"An' enough with yer sass!"

Ruki huffed and puffed down the hallway, heading for Aoi's room. Normally servants would sleep in the servants' quarters, which were far removed from the royalty, but Uruha had requested that Aoi sleep in a smaller room next to his, so that he might call on him at any time. The brunette stomped over to the door to Aoi's room, knocking on it. No answer. He knocked a little harder. Still no answer. He banged on the door with his free fist, and still the room on the other side of the door remained silent. Losing his patience, the short man kicked the door, both to let out some frustration and get Aoi's attention. This time, Aoi answered—but from the room right next door. Ruki turned to his right, finding the taller brunette staring at him with a raised eyebrow. His earlier blush returning slightly, the shorter man waved a bit. "Uh…hi?"

Aoi rolled his eyes, stepping out of the room and closing the wooden door behind him. "Hi. Now," the taller male peered down at Ruki, still looking at him quizzically. "May I ask why you seem to be kicking down the door to my bedroom?"

Ruki put his free hand on his hip, moving the platter in front of Aoi's face. "Dinner."

Aoi's eyes flickered from Ruki, to the plate, and back again. "What, you wish to dine with me? My, little Ruki, how forward! But I must decline, I—"

Ruki spluttered incoherently, face beet red. He stumbled over his words and Aoi's chortles, "N-now just a minute, I didn't-!"

"Kindly keep your voices down." Both men turned to find a splotchy-faced Uruha staring at them both from the doorway that Aoi had just finished leaving. They both looked away, not wanting to embarrass Uruha by seeing him in such a state. Aoi bowed his head apologetically, taking the food. Ruki shuffled his feet, ringing his now empty hands behind his back. Uruha's eyes scanned over them for a bit longer before he muttered, "Come back, Aoi."

Aoi nodded wordlessly, following the blonde back inside the room without a glance at Ruki. The shorter brunette's eyes followed them back, looking as far into the room as he could before the door snapped shut. Running his fingers through his hair, he sighed. He turned away from the door, caught up in his thoughts. Just what had been happening behind that door? Why was Lady Uruha in such a state? And just what was happening behind it now? Ruki rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, groaning softly. "Back to the kitchens, I guess." Grinning slightly, he started walking in the opposite direction. "Or perhaps a bit of eavesdropping on our most honoured guests."

Aoi locked the door behind him. The brunette set aside the food platter on a nearby table, still not meeting Uruha's eyes. He took a few deep breaths to prepare himself before turning to face the heartbroken blonde. "Uruha…"

The blonde sat at his vanity, looking oddly vulnerable in the moonlight. He and Aoi had removed most of his clothing, so that he sat now in only his pale shirtwaist and underclothes. His long honey hair tumbled down his shoulders in loose ringlets that shone in the beams of light gently shining through the window the blonde looked through. Pale skin glowing in the moon's rays, he was a breath-taking, ethereal sight. His tears, still falling, had begun to turn his thin cotton clothes translucent. When he looked up, his eyes exposed how shattered and alone the beauty felt. His eyes pleaded Aoi in a way his pride refused to let his voice do.

The brunette closed his eyes, shuddering. When he opened them, Uruha's dark eyes were still watching, waiting. Aoi took a step closer, reaching out his hand. That was all it took for Uruha's control to shatter. He flung himself into Aoi's arms, crying convulsively. The older man wrapped his arms around the blonde's waist, holding him close. He consolingly ran a hand through his honey hair, quietly murmuring soft words of comfort into Uruha's ear.

Uruha continued weeping long after his knees went weak and Aoi lowered them to the floor. He clung to the brunette as if he was drowning, fingernails digging into his shoulders. Aoi let him wail, continuing to rock and calm his friend as best he could. He had never seen his young mistress so upset, not even during the dark times after his mother's death. The brunette held his Lady close, praying for her sake that her pain would soon ebb. "Milady…"

The blonde only sobbed harder, burying his face in the pale column of Aoi's neck. Aoi sighed, rubbing Uruha's back to calm him. Just a few hours before sunrise, his tears finally stopped, and he was left dry sobbing. He leaned his warm, wet cheek against Aoi's, wiping his eyes with the side of his hand. Aoi stroked the back of Uruha's neck, smiling against his skin. Exhausted and hurting, the blonde let himself be lulled to sleep by the brunette's comforting touch.

Aoi carefully gathered the honey blonde up into his arms, carrying him to his soft bed. He shifted a bit so he could pull back the covers with his right hand without dropping his Mistress. Careful not to wake the blonde, he gently lowered him onto the bed. Aoi unwrapped Uruha's arms from around his neck, tucking them against the sleeping blonde's sides. Smiling despite how tired he was, Aoi wrapped the blonde up in his covers just as he had when they were much, much younger. He stepped back, watching the younger male sleep. Was he supposed to leave now? His room was only next door, but should Uruha wake in the middle of the night and Aoi wasn't there, what would happen? Rubbing his eyes, he sighed. He would stay, at least until the blonde sent him away. With that, he grabbed a chair from the other side of the room and pulled it up to the side of Uruha's bed. Aoi plopped down into it, easily falling asleep after such a day.

"I feel that you have betrayed me, father." Akira fiddled with some trinkets on the chest of drawers in his room, huffing. "To not even discuss such a thing with me before announcing it, well," the young man slipped them into the pocket of his slacks, turning to face his father. "I was…shocked…to say the least! I mean, for you to want to associate with such _filth! _ To want _me_ to _marry_ one of them! You _must_ be _joking!"_

The older man didn't look up from the desk he was rifling through, instead just responding, "We're in no position to be picky, my son. All of London is now well aware, or at the very least suspects, our current financial…situation. We have a finite amount of time to find a rich family to bind to ours before the news of our bankruptcy spreads to all of Europe!" The older male grabbed a few pieces of silver and shoved them into his luggage. "Not a word against that little brat until the two of you are wed!"

Akira gave his father a scathing look, fingers curling around the wooden top of the chest. "But father—"

The Duke slammed his hand down on the desk, turning to his son. "No _buts._ The two of you are to wed, and _stay_ wed," cutting off his son's protests, he added, "at least, until we can drain them of every penny they've got. After that, well, if something were to…happen…to the girl, I would have nothing to say."

A slow, creepy smile spread across the younger male's face. "Ah…yes."

Ruki had gotten himself lost, and had ended up far from where the new guests were staying. Somehow, he had ended up in the garden by the stables. There he had discovered something about a certain tall, brunette stable hand that he never would have expected. His cheeks were still bright red with the embarrassment of finding out such a personal thing. But it was Kai's fault, right? Surely he could have hidden something like _that_ just a _little_ bit better? But no, he had just stumbled upon it, right in the open. That had been…awkward, to say the least. His first urge had been to run to the other servants (especially Yuu) and spill the beans, but Kai had sworn him to absolute secrecy. Ruki wiped his hands across his face, sighing. He didn't want to hurt Kai, but how could he keep something like _this_ secret forever? It was just so…_juicy!_ And Ruki was the biggest gossip of all the servants. He wandered into the servants' quarters and headed for the wash basin in the corner. After he cleaned himself up, he grabbed some fresh clothes. Everyone else in the room was already asleep, so he stripped himself without shame. Just as he was tying his pajama pants closed, the door clicked open. He turned around, finding a tired-looking Yuu in the open doorway. Ruki froze, not breaking eye contact with the taller male.

Yuu looked away first, murmuring a soft "Sorry." He walked over to the empty bed across from Ruki's own, plopping down onto it face-first. A few strangled groans came from the brunette's pillow, making Ruki turn around.

"You…okay?" the shorter man stifled a laugh, sitting down on the corner of Yuu's bed. "You look a little…worn out."

The taller male buried his face in his pillow, muttering something like "our guests…demanding…made me…so much food…_not_ a snack…demons."

Ruki arched an eyebrow, rolling Yuu over a bit so he could hear him better. "Uhm…what?"

Yuu sighed, rolling over but turning his head so Ruki could hear him. "Our honoured guests made me cook them a multi-course meal in the name of a 'late-night snack.' Demons, I tell you. _Demons."_

Ruki chuckled, patting his superior's back in a placating way. "You have my pity."

Yuu groaned, rolling back over.

(a/n) I think I'll try to do at least 2,100 words a chapter. All members of GazettE have now been introduced! Who knows what will happen next? (I certainly don't!) So, stick around! (And please, drop us some reviews!)


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